Chroniech! (36 page)

"Request permission to open fire with all weapons," Scarboro asked from CIC.

The request made sense but something about what had been happening didn't feel right to Stricklen. Why would someone capable of hiding a ship from their sensors be utilizing a tractor beam to pull them toward them? If their intent had been hostile they could easily have crept up to weapons range and opened fire. The probe had stopped transmitting but no energy spike had been detected indicating the use of an energy weapon. None of this was making a lot of sense.

Without any explanation Stricklen replied, "Maintain weapons hold." Seeing that Scarboro was about to object he added, "That's an order."

Stricklen looked around the bridge and noticed the lack of activity. They were waiting for him to come to some sort of decision. After thinking for a moment he reached out and touched a stud on his console.

After the attention tone sounded, Ken made an announcement to his crew. "In case everyone has not been informed I would like to bring the crew up to date. We have been seized by a tractor beam which apparently originates from a cloaked ship. Nothing we have done has affected it and it continues to pull us in. Since the ability to hide a ship from our Hess sensors at close range is beyond our science I can only come to one conclusion — we have made contact with a species which possesses a technology far in advance of anything we have ever encountered.”

"Very shortly I am going to order our propulsion system to be shutdown and that we take no further action. There are two possible outcomes to this action. The first is that whoever is controlling the tractor beam is not intent on our destruction and we will be safely transported to wherever they are taking us. The second possibility is that we will be destroyed. Either way there is nothing we can do at the moment. I will keep you informed as the situation changes. Trel'mara please report to the bridge immediately."

Stricklen then ordered the helm to ramp the drive down to zero. After hesitating for a moment he reluctantly complied. After a few moments he turned back to the captain and said, "The pull from the tractor beam reduced in direct relation to our reduction in engine power. We are now traveling free with our velocity now steady at 182 KPS. ETA to beam origin 22 minutes. The tractor beam is maintaining a lock on us but is applying no force."

The marine guard admitted Trel'mara to the bridge. "How can I help you captain?" he asked as he approached the command console.

"I am betting we have made contact with your people. I can think of no other species that could even come close to fielding the level of technology required to spear us with a tractor beam from a distance of 300,000 kilometers and cloak a ship from our Hess sensors. If they are your people, you might be able to establish a dialog with them. Would you like to try?"

Stricklen had seen very little emotion from the Kyrra in their many weeks together. Trel'mara's eyes grew wide, he became very fidgety, and his breath quickened. In a voice quivering with excitement he replied, "Yes! If those are my people then I should be able to establish contact."

Stricklen accompanied the now obviously excited Kyrra to the communications station. The operator manipulated several switches and then indicated he could proceed. Speaking in his own language Trel'mara sent a greeting.

No reply. "Add visual and a translation for our benefit," Stricklen said.

The communications watch made the necessary adjustments and Trel'mara repeated his message. This time the computer translated his words. "I am Trel'mara. Pilot of stasis cargo transport 138 which last departed from Ky on… " here the computer repeated Trel'mara's words since it could not translate their calendar into the Alliance dating system. "I have been in stasis until recently. If any Kyrra receives this transmission please respond."

Trel'mara repeated the message twice more. Each time the enthusiasm in his voice diminished. Halfway through his forth message an audio only reply was received. The computer translated it as, "Trel'mara, what is your current vroocha and where did you dirmolo?" The machine then added, "Automatic message translation detected at message source."

Stricklen had not understood the question and he understood the answer even less. Trel'mara's voice quavered with excitement as he said, "I am strush. Dirmolo took place in Varesh as my birthplace was Pioto."

Trel'mara saw the confused look on Ken's face and explained. "This question could only have been answered by one of my own kind. Vroocha is a reference to my current reproductive status, what you would call male and female. Unlike your species we can choose our sex. Strush is non-reproductive which in your terms would mean that I am currently sexless.

"I was born in the city of Pioto. Dirmolo refers to a period of time when a young adult leaves its birthplace to wander. Other communities except these wandering individuals and allow them to experience various occupations. When dirmolo is over, the individual has found an occupation which suits its mentality and will begin studying that area of interest. Some people choose multiple occupations. It is a time where one searches within oneself to find not only what talents are there but also what pleases them. I completed my dirmolo within the city of Varesh."

"We're getting a visual feed," the communicator announced.

On the screen, the furry face of a Kyrra appeared. Stricklen's heart pounded. He was now looking at an individual who's race commanded technologies beyond his wildest dreams. "We welcome you home Trel'mara. The records of those times are incomplete and we have only the barest of information concerning you and your cargo ship. Our language has changed in the time since you have been gone and we are using a translator to speak to you. Are there others with you?"

Trel'mara, his voice trembling with excitement and joy, listed the other four members of his group and gave a very brief explanation as to how they came to be in stasis and what had happened since their discovery by the Alliance.

"The Alliance agreed to try to return us to you," he concluded. "A Hess stardrive was installed in this ship and after a long journey we have returned home. I will provide a more complete report when we arrive."

Indicating Ken, Trel'mara said, "This is Captain Ken Stricklen, he is responsible for bringing us here. We owe him a great thanks."

"Captain Ken Stricklen, our deepest thanks for returning our people to us. Leave your propulsion system in its current state and we shall bring your ship to a safe dock. We will talk further when you arrive.”

"In order to facilitate any additional exchanges, have your computer initiate a language translation request using any communications method you desire. Our computer will respond." Without waiting for an answer the communication link closed.

Trel'mara turned and started to rush out of the room. On his way he said, "I must inform the others — WE ARE HOME!" And the happiest creature Ken had every seen skipped out of the control room, past a startled guard, and down the passageway.

Stricklen looked at his communications watch and smiled. Feeling all warm and bubbly inside he returned to his command chair and activated the ship's public address system. "All hands, this is the captain. We have made contact with the Kyrra. Congratulations to everyone. Secure from battle stations."

"Captain," the helm waited until he saw he had Stricklen's attention then continued, "the source of the tractor beam is moving. We are being towed."

"Very well. Mr. Stillman, can you get any readings at all on that cloaked ship?"

The science station had been trying every trick he knew in an attempt to break through the cloak surrounding the ship that was generating the tractor beam. Stillman threw his arms up in disgust and replied, "I've been able to pick up a slight spacial disturbance probably from their drive system but nothing more than that. That cloak is damn near perfect. It doesn't even register on the gravitometers. For all I know the ship could be as small as a shuttle or as large as a Tholtaran juggernaut."

A moment later Scarboro walked on to the bridge and walked up to the captain's chair. "I almost said yes to your request to open fire," Stricklen told him. "As advanced as these people are, I doubt it would have done any damage but it certainly would not have been very diplomatic."

"I'll second that," Doug replied. "The tractor beam they are using defies analysis. Our sensors show that something is there but we cannot penetrate it in order to analyze it. I can't begin to imagine the scale of energy needed to generate a tractor beam capable of reaching out across 300,000 kilometers of space and still remain strong enough to be totally unaffected by our attempts to break free.”

"How did it penetrate our Hess shield?" Stricklen asked.

"I don't know," Doug replied. "It cut through our shield as if it didn't even exist. All I can say is that we had better not piss these people off."

"Actually," the science station piped in, "the tractor beam didn't really penetrate our shield. At first I thought it had, but after reviewing the sensor logs I learned that it was pulling on our shield. Sir, I didn't think that was possible."

Stricklen whistled then said, "It's not supposed to be. Obviously, the Kyrra know a thing or two more about tractor beams and shields than we do."

"I wonder what else they can do?" Stillman wondered out loud.

"Anything they damn well please," Scarboro replied.

21 - Kyrra

For three hours the Komodo Dragon was towed by the unseen Kyrra ship towards an unknown destination. It had quickly become clear that their destination was not a planet, moon, asteroid, or any other detectable object. Based upon the fact that their sensors had been unable to detect the Kyrra ship even at close range, Stricklen had come to the conclusion that they were being taken to a cloaked space station — perhaps one of the habitats the Hess had mentioned.

"We're slowing sir," the helm announced.

"Sensors are still clear," the tactical station added after checking his screens again.

On a hunch, Stricklen entered a command into his console causing the main viewscreen to show the view from a camera pickup on the front of the ship. Several minutes went by. Suddenly, without any warning, a wall of gray steel appeared directly in front of them. The instant it appeared the ship's proximity alert alarm sounded and several alarms appeared on the navigational panel. The ship's computer began an automatic emergency power-up of the propulsion system but was quickly overridden by the helm.

A small globular ship lay directly ahead of them. It was heading toward a large opening in the wall. Tactical data began to stream in and Stricklen took in the statistics of the ship that had been towing them: Diameter - 513 meters; Composition - unknown; Mass - ????. "Chief Stillman, what is wrong with the gravitometer?"

The chief manipulated several controls on his console then replied, "Nothing sir. We can't get a reading on the mass of the Kyrra ship. It appears to be gravitationally neutral."

"Is there anything these people can't do?" Scarboro remarked.

"What do you make of that," Stricklen replied waving his hand at the viewscreen. "Any idea how large of a structure that might be?"

"I haven't a clue," Scarboro said. "It fills the whole field of view so it must be gigantic. We're also pretty damn close. Looks like we are heading for some type of hanger bay. Hope they can accommodate the Dragon."

As they watched the Kyrra ship paused in front of the entrance then moved sideways to the left and out of sight. The Dragon, apparently being pulled by a tractor beam from within the station, started moving forward passing through the entrance. A featureless wall loomed in front of them. It grew closer, then all movement ceased.

"Incoming transmission," the coms station announced.

"Translate and put it on the main screen," Stricklen ordered.

"Captain Ken Stricklen," the Kyrra said as soon as the link had been established. "Your ship is now safely berthed. Please shutdown all non-essential systems. A vehicle will arrive shortly at your hanger bay to transport our people and yourself to a place where we can speak. Your ship is being held in a null-gravity field but is surrounded by a compatible atmosphere. A normal gravity field exists at a distance of 50 meters from your ship. I am looking forward to meeting you in person."

With the usual Kyrra abruptness the image blinked out as the link closed. Stricklen ordered the ship to be placed in a standby condition then walked over to the science station. "How do you read the atmosphere outside the ship?"

The chief punched up a screenfull of data and interpreted the results, "Pressure, temperature, and gas concentrations are compatible. If this thing had windows I would say let's open them and get some fresh air in here."

A knowing smile formed on Stricklen's face as an idea crossed his mind. "What an excellent idea chief!" Spinning around and facing his astonished XO, Stricklen continued, "Doug, send out a crew to open up all the airlocks. Drop the containment fields around the hanger and cargo bay doors and open them up as well."

Scarboro stood with a dumb founded look on his face and was at a complete loss for words. For a moment he thought that his captain had lost his mind. Stricklen cocked an eyebrow and said, "Ask Trel'mara and the rest of the Kyrra to meet me in the hanger bay then get moving on my last order. You have the bridge."

The excited group of Kyrra were waiting for him as he entered the hanger bay. Each of them had to grasp Ken's shoulders and thank him for helping them find their way back to their people. The Kyrra reminded him so much of large polychromatic bunny rabbits that his heart warmed to their thanks. Deep down, he knew exactly how they felt. He found himself having to fight back tears of joy.

As the emotional outpouring was winding down the large hanger bay door began to open. Normally, a light force field created a barrier between the vacuum of space and the comfortable inside of the hanger. Ships could pass through the containment field but the air inside could not.

As the door opened, a slight breeze of cool air rushed in indicating that the containment field was no longer there. Instead of the stale smell of another ship, Ken thought he smelled the fresh air of a planet's surface.